Question

in 1995, wolves that were captured in canada were reintroduced to yellowstone national park, united states, in an attempt to re-establish the predator-prey balance in the ecosystem. before 1995, wolves had been absent from the park for almost 70 years.

before 1995, prior to their reintroduction, wolves in yellowstone national park would have been classified as being

extinct
extirpated
threatened
endangered

Explanation:

Analyze the context

The text states wolves were absent from Yellowstone for almost 70 years before being reintroduced from Canada in 1995.

Define conservation terms

We evaluate the status of the local wolf population in Yellowstone National Park before 1995:

• Extinct: The species no longer exists anywhere on Earth.
• Extirpated: The species is locally extinct in a specific geographic area but exists elsewhere.
• Threatened: The species is likely to become endangered in the near future.
• Endangered: The species is at serious risk of extinction.

Apply definitions to the scenario

Using the Ecological Niche concept, we know wolves still existed in Canada. Because they were only absent from Yellowstone, they were locally extinct.

Select the correct classification

Since wolves existed elsewhere but were gone from Yellowstone, they were extirpated.

Answer:

• extinct
• extirpated (Correct answer)
• threatened
• endangered